Safe Water for Haiti Project

Project Goals

St James questions what is the value of faith without works. St Paul questions what is the value of works without love.

Our faith restlessly seeks concrete expression in our lives. We engage in works that interject into this world, the values and tenets sanctified by our faith.  These works, to be meaningful expressions of faith, require that we try to build a relationship of friendship and biblical love with those we try to help. Our prayerful worship of God at St Paul Catholic Church is continued through our enactment of the commandment to love one another.

We enact this commandment in many ways but always within the faith-based belief of the sacredness of all human life and a compelling sense of community with those we help.  In this context, the St Paul Haiti Team has initiated the Safe Water for Haiti Project to assist as many communities in Haiti as possible within our mean and within the capacities of the communities we hope to serve. The gift water is the gift of life.  

We hope that our project will encourage your financial support. The more you support us, the more that we can accomplish for the people of Haiti.

We also hope that our efforts will inspire other congregations and organizations to consider forming safe parallel water projects serving the impoverished people whether in Haiti or elsewhere in the world.

 

 

The following list our current project goals.  The goals are hyperlinked. These values may appear in bold, underlined, or in different colors depending on your browser settings.  Click any of these links for a pop-up box with more information.  You may open as many pop-ups as you like and you may re-arrange them on the screen for optimal viewing.

Short Term

 

Complete a new water well for Carissade and Los Palis, Haiti.

 

Raise Funds.

   

Contract with Driller.

   

Organize Local Responsibility and Control.

   

Inaugurate Well Use.

Medium Term

 

Expand Funding Base and Partnerships

   

Form funding and/or project partnerships with other Virginia parishes.

   

Invite funding from other potential donors.

   

Form partnerships with potential recipient parishes and organizations in Haiti.

   

Form relationships with providers of well drilling, water testing, and other services.

   

Form relationships with sources of water pumping and purification technologies.

 

Implement two additional well projects.

Long Term

 

Implement eight additional well projects.

     
Funds were raised for a 50% downpayment for the new well in Carissade. The estimated cost of the well is $7,000. The actual cost is dependent on drilling depth. If good water is reached before the contracted depth, the cost will be less. If a deeper well is necessary to reach good water, the cost will be higher. An additional $3,500 in donations is needed to cover the remaining estimated cost of the well.
In June, representatives of the St Paul Haiti Team met with Father Bourdeau and the driller in Haiti. Together, we contracted for the additional well in Carissade. Work on this well may start in November, 2008.
The new well will be installed on the grounds of the Carissade School. The new well will be supervised by a designated teacher at the Carissade school. It is hoped that a community group can be organized to work with the teacher in supervising the well.
The St Paul Haiti Team is seeking partnerships with other congregations and organizations interested in co-funded water well projects. Contact us for more information.
The St Paul Haiti Team met with the pastor of the catholic parish in LosPalis. There is interest in installing the second well in LosPalis.
In addition to contracting with a driller in Haiti, the St Paul Haiti Team has developed contact with a second driller operating in Haiti.
Our goal is to implement two additional well projects after completion of the well for LosPalis, Haiti.
We hope to expand the project to including the funding of additional wells and include appropriate water purification technology.